Friday, November 22, 2013

I have talked about John F. Kennedy on my blog before. He was the first president I remember well as a child. I used to confuse Eisenhower with the president of my church, David O. McKay, but at age 9, when President Kennedy was elected, I definitely knew and was mesmerized by the new, young family in the White House. I was also more aware of current world events such as the civil rights protests, the Bay of Pigs, and definitely the Cuban Missile Crisis. That last one kept my worry wart (my parents' nickname for me) self up nights. I wrote about that time in this post.

Fifty years ago today, Jackie was dressed in a pink suit and pill box hat and exiting a plane in Dallas, Texas in company with her husband. It would become the worst day of her life. I was in my 5th grade classroom at Edmunds Elementary located on a quiet country corner across from the church in Plano, Idaho. Edmunds was several miles from my home near Sugar City. It was a daily school bus ride. Some years ago I tried to find this school again for I have many happy memories of my 3rd through partial 6th grade year. I drove this way and that, but never found it. I googled it today and found out why. Here is a copy of the history.

Edmunds Rural High School # 1

Edmunds is in the northwest corner of Madison County. Its western
border is desert. There is mention made in the histories of the Brown
family, who moved to the area in 1889, of attending school in log
building located out in the field owned by the Edward Hemsley family.
Later this building was moved to Egin.The next building was a white frame building located on a corner now
where the Plano Community Park is. It was in use in 1906. Some time
after this, a building was erected on this corner. It was a red frame
school consisting of a large room that could be divided with a curtain
to make two classrooms. It also had upstairs rooms.In 1925 this school was torn down and another built on the site. It
was built of yellowish brown brick and was intended to house both
elementary and high school students. At this time the districts of
Plano, Edmunds, and Egin joined together to form a district, Joint Rural
High School # 1. This was a large building with a gym and a stage.
When the Sugar City Central Elementary School was built all students
went to Sugar City. The Edmunds building was later sold and torn down.

I remember the interior of this school well. Four classrooms (one for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades) and the Principal's office opened onto an open hallway which in turn surrounded the gym which was a godsend for kids during cold, cold Idaho winters. The stage was on the south end of the gym and a lunchroom and kitchen were through a door on the east side of the stage. There was a "media" room on the west side, or media as we had in those days. We watched educational shorts from a projector on a white screenevery Friday afternoon. I can still hear the whap, whap at the end as the last frames of film left one reel for the other. Now in retrospect, I am sure our movie time was teacher prep time for the next week.

We did not watch movies on Friday, November 22, 1963. We had our daily yummy lunch (our lunch ladies cooked from scratch and it was good food), enjoyed lunch recess, and then returned to our classrooms. The 5th grade room was located on the northwest corner of the school. Mr. Clements was my teacher. It was he who told us of the terrible event that had occurred in Dallas, Texas and that our beloved president was dead. I will never forget the sick feeling that overcame me. I really just wanted to go home to my mother, but we had a couple of hours to endure before that long bus ride through the country side. Mr. Clements seemed to be in shock. He sat silently at his desk with his head down for the remainder of the day. Looking back on this as an adult and a teacher who dealt with students during 9/11, I understand his pain, but I think he failed us as a teacher that day.

In 1963, our family did not own a
television. My father, the ever busy farmer, dairyman, and night shift
worker during the winters in the lab at the sugar factory, felt that TV
watching was a waste of time. The assassination of President Kennedy
was a time of great national mourning and the nation was watching it
together. My mother went and rented a television set with option to
buy. Thus, we watched on live TV as Ruby shot Oswald, a riderless
horse clip clopped down Pennsylvania Avenue, and John John saluted his
father one last time. My mother also purchased a hard cover picture filled memorial book which was later delivered by mail. I studied that book intently. Over the years I have listened to, pondered, and watched the many theories of why and who and was it a conspiracy. This month I have watched, listened, and pondered more as this 50th year has arrived and many documentaries have been produced. It was truly a defining moment of my childhood.

Earlier this year, I read a memoir by Clint Hill, secret service agent assigned to Jackie Kennedy. I talk about that book in this post.

This is a picture I found of Mr. Hill as he clung to the back of the car after running to it as shots rang out. He has been talking on many of the shows I've watched during this 50 year anniversary. I think that the writing of his book, Mrs. Kennedy and Me, has finally enabled him to talk about that day publicly. He still feels that he failed the President and his wife some how. I remember my pain and wonder about his. How would you deal with such an event when it was your job to protect?

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

This picture popped up on another grandparent's FB page today. I just had to copy it. Those little girls are one of the true delights of my life and unfortunately we will be passing on the freeway as they come north to celebrate Thanksgiving with their mother's family. They have a new little (well sort of little, 23" at birth) boy cousin to cuddle and get acquainted with. Soon their new cousin will have a new boy cousin as well for these little girls are welcoming a brother in March. They are still unsure about what another male may mean for their family dynamics.

And that brings me to my Quilty Sew Along courthouse blocks for this week, lots of blue, red, yellow, aqua, and green. I like to keep my posts color coordinated!

Monday, November 18, 2013

All the applique blocks are sewn together. I've been appliqueing stems and leaves on apple blocks while watching TV with Glen instead. I so enjoyed this project. Now it needs a border and I'm having a hard time deciding on the fabric. I don't like what I purchased long ago. I've also decided to hand quilt this project. It will be something to work on after Thanksgiving and add to my Christmas spirit. That back basting applique method I learned a couple of years ago has become my favorite kind of hand work project.

Friday, November 15, 2013

I am not the only one having a birthday this week. I am sharing it with two grandsons and my blog. Yep, my blog is now 6 years old. My amazing DIL, Sally, created it for me as a birthday gift SIX years ago! I have chosen over the years to leave it as she designed it and named it, "A Place to Share."

The name has been so appropriate and it reminds me of my Grandma Rhoda Ann Foote Nyborg's home. It was "a place to share" and I loved visiting her on our annual summer trips north to Idaho from Arizona. She would pull out all her latest quilt tops and crocheting projects for us to see and we would visually cruise her sideboard for the latest pictures of her grandchildren. I am pretty sure that if she had been born in the 20th century instead of the end of the 19th that she would have loved to share in a blog.

Readers would have been treated to multiple double wedding ring quilts (one for each grandchild), true patchwork quilts made from the fabric pieces left over from our garment sewing (I really loved my going away to college quilt made of plaids, most from my garment sewing), and ripple afghans (one for each son and son-in-law.) She probably could have shared a tip or two on her methods back before rotary cutters and mats. She was a template tracer who cut out pieces with scissors and then hand pieced them all back together in a most artistic way. She had a knack for color placement and design. I loved to see her plastic dish pans full of fabric pieces and blocks ready for the next quilt top.

I also like to think that she would have shared all the pictures of her grands online as well and maybe there would have been a post about Velva and her kids coming for their summer visit or when Laurel came to show off her first born son and Rhoda's great grandson.

This is the first picture that I posted of my grand children in November 2007. My how they have grown over the years, but because I received this gift, I finally had a way to journal and share in a consistent way my interactions with and pictures of them the last six years. Come March, their numbers will have doubled and now the older ones like to explore my journal history. I in turn, love to share our family history with them. Thank you Sally for the perfect birthday gift.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

When our DIL was in Salt Lake City for a board review prior to her dental hygiene boards early next year, we celebrated her birthday early by taking her to The Roof restaurant overlooking Temple Square.

It is a wonderful place to watch the sunset while the lights come on. It is a great view and one can even see the Great Salt Lake.

We were lucky enough to snag a table in the corner so had views north as well. That is the Utah State Capitol building in the background.

This is our birthday girl and they treated her like royalty. She deserved it. She has worked and studied so hard for the last two years. I think she should receive 10 out of 5 stars. She is an English 2nd language learner who has rocked a dental hygiene program with an attrition rate of 33%.

Some people come into your life and you are so grateful because you can't imagine life without them.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

I have been working on several little projects. I'm not sure why I'm suddenly in the midst of more than one sew along, but I am, most likely because they appealed to me. I've finished the first two weeks of Lori Holt's Sampler Quilt sew along using her new book Quilty Fun. I pre-ordered the book because I liked her Row Along sew along earlier this year but had too much going on to follow. Quilty Fun includes all the directions for the Row Along as well as other projects inspired by the Row Along.

When they announced the Sampler Quilt sew along, I decided to play. Perhaps I will still do the Row Along, but for now this is doable and fun and I already had fabric pieces and a bunch of white for the background.

These are my apples from week one. The sparkly stars were the project for this week. Fun!

I am rethinking the Temecula Quilt sew along. I think she had me at "Midwinter Reds." I love that fabric line and now I could use it so I went and bought a layer cake and here we are. I forgot that Temecula likes to do things small, really small.

And it calls for 24 star blocks which finish at 2 inches! This is hard for me, really. I'm two thirds done and there are the rest of the pieces for the final 8. Wish me luck. I am also making 140 four patches. They have been my leaders and enders and the muffin tin is helping me to kept them truly scrappy.

This photo is proof that this will be a finished 2 inch star.

I also couldn't resist making this autumn table runner. It was kitted at American Quilting and I loved all the deep fall colors. My fabric leftovers would not support a runner this fallish.

The goal of course is to have it quilted and bound in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

Last, but not least is November's Saturday Sampler sponsored by American Quilting.

Those square in a square blocks that were made in September now have a frame. I now have fifteen 5 1/2 inch square in a square blocks. Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

So, sewing little projects has kept me sane the last couple of weeks while I have been dealing with facial nerve pain. I'm off to a dentist who specializes in this kind of pain. It feels like 8 tooth aches with some jaw pain and sensitive lips thrown in for good measure and occasionally my right eye twitches as well. Hopefully he has some answers.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Sunday, November 3rd, while in Arizona, seemed like a perfect time to celebrate November birthdays especially with most everyone in town. Eric and Susan hosted all of us and we enjoyed a potluck soup and salad supper before birthday festivities. My potluck contribution was 5 dozen homemade rolls as requested.

There was a cake with all our names, Laurel, Emilia, TJ, and Toby. There are six family birthdays in November. We four were born in the first half. Grandpa Glen led the clapping of number of years for all of us and yes, I got 30 more claps than the next oldest.

After cake and ice cream, it was time for presents. Round and round the table we went.

We were so excited to have Emilia with us. She is on a two week break from school. Just one more semester and then she will take her boards. She is almost an official dental hygienist! I am so, so proud of her and amazed at her tenacity. It has not been easy.

Toby has been asking for a back scratcher. Glen couldn't fine the one he had been interested in so I found this one instead. There were cries of dismay. "Mom, that Mickey Mouse souvenir is almost an antique. It has been hanging in your closet for our use since we were boys." Oh my, I had no idea.

Glen found the other back scratcher (plain and ordinary) later in the week and is quietly working on a trade.

The other presents, a book and a game, were free of spectator angst.

TJ loved his quilt. We also gave him BYU plaid pajama pants so he is all set for long winter naps.

However, I think that the two boxes of Smorz cereal that he received from his sister may have trumped the quilt. Even after dinner, cake, and ice cream TJ went straight to the cupboard for a bowl and the refrigerator for milk. Apparently this cereal is hard to find. I didn't even know it existed.

We had brought gifts from Utah for everyone from Nate and Nichelle. Julianna, even though a Thanksgiving week birthday is planned, discovered her gift and was unwilling to wait.

Thanks Nate and Nichelle! It was a perfect evening but we missed the Utah aunts, uncles, and cousins. My life really is spread between two places. I'm just glad that it is only two, sometimes three.

Friday, November 8, 2013

While in Target searching for the pumpkin spice M & M's that Glen had heard about and wanted for his office, I happened upon these adorable woodland animals. They were a great price and almost gone, so I snatched them up.

I even bought the bird without a beak because birds come in pairs, right?

They have made me very happy for several weeks now.

I decided that I just had to share individual pictures of each one.

I can not believe that November is already one week down. Have you started planning Thanksgiving dinner? I've already done some online Christmas shopping. Only about 8 more weeks of 2013 to go.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Glen was a good sport and agreed to model my oldest grandson's birthday quilt. He turned 15!!! I know, I can't believe it either. How does time go that fast?

It is a BYU quilt and it is taller than Glen. That is because TJ is taller than grandpa and most of his uncles. I wanted to make sure that he could stretch and still have his toes covered.

When in Provo, we live in the shadow of the "Y". The grandkids come and go to summer camps and events on the BYU campus during the summer so I am passing on my love of BYU to them as my mother did to me. Thus the quilt and I had to include this picture because of the blue, blue sky which is mirrored in TJ's quilt.

When I designed the label on the back, I included some BYU letters and words.

I bought enough of that navy with leaf fabric for the back as well AND then I came across the "Y" flannel when I went to purchase batting. It is a scrumptious feeling flannel and I knew it would make it cozy.

I quilted it on my machine and used a wavy decorative stitch and simply sewed straight across the quilt and formed 3 inch squares all over the quilt.

Because I had so much of that navy leaf fabric, I also made TJ a new matching pillow case.

I decided to include the brighter blue as well when I found the fabric printed with the words "blue and white." I'm happy I went with the other blues because I think it makes it more interesting.

Once again I went to the pattern "Yellow Brick Road" for this quilt. It is a fat quarter quilt but for this quilt I bought 1/2 yard cuts of fabric and I made sure that the patterned "Y" fabric was directional and all going the right way.

The binding is scrappy and made up of all the left over pieces of fabric.

Of course, I didn't plan on buying flannel when I went for batting, so didn't have the correct measurements. I bought what I thought would work and was wrong, once again because it was directional. My solution was to use a 6 inch strip of the original backing fabric and use it 2/3 down the back with the label sandwiched in between. Maybe this quilt will travel with him back and forth from Arizona when he comes to EFY this summer.